There is general acknowledgment on the positive effects of scaffolding on student learning. Yet, does the teacher have to mediate the scaffolding or can it be as effective if mediated by technology?
This study addresses the need for library media specialists to teach students in the most effective and efficient manner in a limited time frame. The results of a quasi-experiment research design examines different deliveries of scaffolding: (a) a teacher mediated scaffold lesson that demanded 60 minutes of the librarian's undivided attention; (b) a technology mediated scaffold lesson that demanded 20 minutes of the librarian's undivided attention; and (c) a nonscaffolded group that required 5 minutes of the librarian's undivided attention. Participants included 73 (35 female and 38 male) 10th- grade health students from a predominately White suburban high school. All three groups covered the same material, worked collaboratively, and the end project requiring citations remained the same. Lessons addressed the need for students to evaluate resources on the Internet. Websites used for student research were scored for quality using a rubric. The three groups were involved in five research projects spaced 2 weeks apart. The lessons were implemented after their first project to obtain a baseline. The website evaluation scores from all research projects were assessed for quality to see if task achievement and longevity was achieved.
Results showed the two groups that received some form of scaffolding instruction did not differ significantly from each other but each differed significantly on their web evaluation achievement and longevity scores from the nonscaffolded group. Gender, grade point average, race, and education program did not have an effect on scores.